Student Blog

By: Liam Grigg, University of Victoria, winner of the BC Study Abroad: Stories from Abroad Scholarship

Study Abroad Destination: Sophia Antipolis, France

Walking through the wooded Großer Tiergarten in the heart of Berlin, it’s easy to forget where you are and the history of the city. The sounds of spring echo around you drown out the surrounding roadways. Birds chirping, squirrels scurrying, and the occasional dog barking creates an atmosphere of peacefulness.

Originally planted in the 17^th century, the area was used as a hunting ground for diplomats and aristocrats; however, it is now a popular summer destination for both locals and tourists. During the Second World War and the subsequent bombing of Berlin by the Allied forces, t...

By: Matthew Rosenthal, Royal Roads University, winner of the BC Study Abroad: Stories from Abroad Scholarship

Study Abroad Destination: Lund, Sweden

Even though exams are next week, I still managed to take in a hockey game in Malmö this week. It was a great time and a different experience compared to watching the Canucks or Victoria Royals live. The fans chant, bang drums and sing songs the entire game. Another interesting part is that you cannot drink beer in your seat while watching the game. You can only have a beer on the concourse during the intermissions. I do not know if this is better or worse, but what I do know is that when the period ends, there is a mass exodus towards the concessions on the concourse. Malmö ended up winning 3-1, so the...

By: Trisha Bhamra, Camosun College, winner of the BC Study Abroad: Stories from Abroad Scholarship

Study Abroad Destination: Mexico

One week away from the Mexico Field School and I am not even remotely prepared for this trip. Sigh! Today we have our pre-departure meeting before we leave for our trip. So the plan (between now and May 3) is as follows: Pre-departure meeting with our trip leader- Ada; check instruments in clinic; sterilize and pack instruments that we need; pack everything we will need for the dental clinic in 8 suitcases; finish the pre-departure complete the course related to the field school and finish all my clinical requirements for the program before departure. Between midterms all this week and five finals exams next week, I hav...

Liam Grigg, University of Victoria, winner of the BC Study Abroad: Stories from Abroad Scholarship

Study Abroad Destination: Sophia Antipolis, France

Waking up and starting out at the white snowflakes is one of the last things I expected to see in Southern France. Living just two blocks up from the Mediterranean, I had become accustomed to ocean storms, but snow was not in my forecast. This was also the worst day this could happen, as my roommates and I were renting a car and going on a road trip to Western Italy today.

We all yawned, shouldered our bags and climbed into our elevator built for one, but somehow can hold enough weight for three. Stumbling into the cold wind, we miserably Tetris packed our bags into the trunk of the car, ready t...